Editorial: Split down the middle

Virginia’s 6th Senate District, which includes Mathews County, may have a new Democratic senator to succeed Ralph Northam, now lieutenant governor. Or not…depending on the likely recount of votes. Just nine votes out of more than 20,000 cast separated Lynwood Lewis from Wayne Coleman after the vote was certified by the State Board of Elections last week.

So much hangs in the balance, including party control of the Senate, that no one will concede until the final totals are released.

Politics in Virginia are now so evenly divided that many elections are coming down to the wire. Just ask Mark Herring, the new Democratic attorney general, who eked out an election night win which finally grew to four figures in a recount. His vacated Senate seat is next up in a special election set for Tuesday.

The lesson here is that if we can’t all get along politically, then at least all of us ought to be voting. Every vote counts. The side that gets out the most duly registered voters on Election Day will win.

We’re still waiting to learn how the special Senate District 6 election of Jan. 7 will turn out.